VARANASI: The eastern UP's two more handicraft goods - Soft stone undercut work and Ghazipur jute wall hanging joined the league of Geographical Indication (GI). With the addition of these two products to GI club, the Eastern UP has emerged as a hub of goods protected under Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).The GI expert and facilitator Dr. Rajni Kant of Human Welfare Association said that the GI certification was granted to soft stone undercut work (registration number 556) and Ghazipur jute wall hanging (registration number 555) on March 30. Now, the east UP has a total of 10 GI products including Banaras brocade & saree, Handmade carpet of Bhadohi, Banaras gulabi meenakari craft, Varanasi wooden lacquerware & toys, Mirzapur handmade dari, Nizamabad black pottery, Banaras metal repouse craft, and Varanasi glass beads.He said that with the support of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Lucknow , the local artisans had applied for GI tag in July 2016. These two products were also put on display at the Deen Dayal Hastkaka Sankul for the view of French President Emanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their visit to the city on March 12. The crafts were highly appreciated by them.The undercut stone carving at Varanasi is very unique producing different artifacts. The most noted product of this kind is an undercut elephant. Artisans carve variety of products from soap stone. Lamp stands, small bowls, jaalis, candle stands and decorative items. Similarly, the wall hanging of Ghazipur is one of the unique handicraft products transformed from the best combination of golden fiber jute yarn and fabric. Proper display of this product provides aesthetic pleasure. Jute fiber used as basic material is a natural gift of mankind, which is biodegradable, non-toxic and environment friendly.Kant said that the soft stone undercut works produced exclusively in Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts, and jute wall hanging procuced in Ghazipur, Varanasi , Chandauli and Mirzapur districts are entitled to use GI tag after certification.

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